Variable-speed unit



Oct. 23, 1945. P. B. REEVES VARIALE SPEED UNIT Filed sept. 1:5, 1945 Lum,

MN mw,

u su Patented Oct. 23, 1945 VARIABLE-SBEEDiz UNI? PaulfB-ReevechlmblIndo@Ssghr ,tofReeVes 1- PulleyCompany, Columbus', Ohio; a corporation i of Indiana t "Appuaumsentmber 1a, 1ste,.- serisinettuno s o1aims... (el. 'i4-23u17) f The present-'invention relates yto a variable speed unit, and more particularly, the invention is concerned withsuch` a, unit `Whoh combines `a belt drivenvariable speed transmission of the variable-,effectiverdiameter pulley type with; a

differential unit,A `wherebyadjustment of the pulley` type 4tranemission@from;one limit oi its ed.- justment to the other limit thereof will result in a variationin the. operation of the output shaft of the combinedfunit :from maximum speedin one ldireotion,y through Zerospeed to maximum speed inthe opposite direetionv A. further obieot of the invention is to provide.l in .o verieolelspeed transr mission ofthe- Vzpulley, type,f @positive adjusting mechanismoi irnprovedend simplified. strutture,

includinarneensifor veriebly limitini-:f` the oppo site end sof the tnrowoi the-adjustable element o f suonatransrnission.fwithoutvdonser of-,iernnung- ,the adjusting fnieoheuisrm 1 Further objects of tile4 invention will appear as the description proceeds. i Y

,To the accomplishment of the above vand re, lated: objects, my invention may loev embodied in the formil-iustratedrin the eoeornponving:draw ing, Aattention being V-oalledvto the fact, however,

that the drawing is illustrative only, and that change may be made inthe speoiiie .construction illustratedand describedfso long asthe scope vof the appended claims ,is-not. violated,v

Fiaxl ,is an;` elevational View ofirnv invention,

parts beine showniniseotion for clarity,V of illusr tration;

Fig.2is anenlargedliraenientel-seotionel vievv off the adiustingpandistop nieonensimi and l v l Fig'. is l aseetion Athrough the diiierentiel InteC:l'lafrljssnln1;V 1

Referring ,more partioularlvA tothe dravi'ina` it wiilbe seenthatI-have illustrated a housineil ll, in `vvhiolrisjourriallecran .inputsnaft li. In the illustratedrembodirnent ^oirnv invention., I; have shown-` a Vlr-pulley, l2 Acarried bathe shaitgtl 4outsidethe housingjl 0. to receive powerfrorn en out.-

side source; `but itvvill be: Obvious thntthoashafi shaitizf; `il. second difrerentiaipinion l Biroarieii uponithe carrier .Ioand meshingE with the pinion l1, meshesdalso with aseeond diierentialgear 20 vit.

drivingly `connected vto, agear p 2 I ,i said gears Q20 end-2-il beinelooselv mountedon the' snuit, 24,`

and said aear2-I meshing with a gear 22 uned. on

a shaft 24,3 `suitablyjournalerfi the housing ill. IV have shown ary-pulley 25 carried bythe out.- put shaft 24, but it will be obvious that the shaft 24 mov beoonneeted env suitable manner-to drive any desired mechanism. Y i

A ball bearine26 .isrnounted in one wall of the housing l l Otto support the sooftv houd e1 suitable oil sealine oop 2l.,l is essooieted therevvitliY ,Conoentrio withl the shaft I-l, is a thimble ,28, se Cured; to .the outer surface, of. the wall ofthe. nous ins liliov any desired-fasteninarneans such, es the cap screws 29. Said thimble -28 internally threaded esetiofon o .reesonvvhion will epneer the -desorptionrprooeeds i =;;A.diaoent;it root, the tliirnbierZisiormed with an externe `-thro.eldedlenlersement ohforrned,

abouti-rits.; erfteruoi peu?iphervL With, e; Soriesoi oeripnerallr; and axiallvfsnooedisocirets 321er` elternative retention set sorevvf reoeivedin e ,tinreactedl sooket1 34 ltoller `35 threadedly and adiusteblv mounted upon tlre threodslof `saidv-tliirr.1;b 1 r .enlargement p31. Carried liv` the coilar nndproieotins. forwardlythereirornis o stop nin 3,6 for epurpose willen vviliY .later appear- ,n A sleevel .31, is formed vvitnY a, shenlo 33 ei#- terneilyrtnreodedas nitiative, threads 3:9 of the shank ,liipeinseneosod vvitli the interneltnreeds 30, of-tnef-1tnimble28. Obviouslnas thesileeve `3T is rotated, the threads 30 and 3,9 Cooperate to produce axial adjustment oi the sleeve-` Adjacent: its Vouter end, the sleeve 3l is formed -withyian .enlargementAU whichis, externally threaded as at 4l for the reception of, 'ariinternally threaded collar 42 preferably fqrmed'intevgrall with a hand ,wheel 43. The ,enlargement 40 isformed vizitl'na peripheral series of peripherally and axially spaced sockets 44 similar to the sockets 32, for the alternative, reception lof the noseota set screw 45 `carriedin a threadedV socket 4`6lfforn1ed inthe (501124142.

It Wiube clear from the ebovedesorintion. that the ol1ar35 maybe `set in any ,oneof a plurality .of axially adjusted positions Withrespeot to the be clear from an inspection of the drawing that, as the hand wheel approaches the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the path of the finger 41 will intersect the position of the pin 36, so that said finger will strike the pin 36, whereby further adjustment of the hand wheel 43 in the same direction will be prevented. Correspondingly, as the hand wheel approaches the opposite limit of its throw,'the finger 41 will strike the rearward surface (as viewed in the drawing) of the pin 48 to stop further adjustment of the hand wheel in the latter direction. It will be clear that the opposing peripherally directed faces of the stop finger 41 will engage the respective stop pins 36 and 38, as distinguished from the axially directed faces of said stop finger, so that there will be no possibility of jamming of the hand wheel.

It will also be clear that the particular position disc 6| toward the left against the tendency of the spring 62, thereby reducing the speed of the shaft 23 with respect to the speed of the shaft The left hand end of the shaft 23 is Supported in an antifriction bearing 64 mounted in a housing 65 suitably secured to the wall of the casing I by cap screws 66 or other equivalent fastening means. Said housing 65 is formed to provide at which the sleeve 31 will be stoppedat one limit of its throw will depend upon the position of axial adjustment of the collar 35 with respect to the thimble 28,' while the particular position of adjustment at which the sleeve 31 will be stopped at the opposite limit of its throw, by engagement of the'i'lnger y41 with the stop pin 48, will depend upon the position of axial adjustment of the collar 42 with respect to the enlargement 40 of the sleeve 31.

The sleeve 31 is formed, at its outermost end, with an outwardly opening socket 49 receiving Yone race 50 of an antifriction thrust bearing, said race being held against axial movement in one direction with respect to the sleeve by its engagement with the base 0f the socket 49, and being held against relative movement in the oppositeA direction by a ring 5| suitably secured to the end of thesleeve 31.

To the outer end of th'e shaft Il is fixedly secured a coned disc 52,'while a mating coned disc 53, having a rearwardly projecting hub 54, is axially adjustably splined upon said shaft through the medium of one or more splines 55.

Upon a surface 56, bounded at its outer end by a rearwardly facing shoulder, is mounted the second race 50' of the above-mentioned antifriction thrust bearing, said race 50 being held against axial movement with respect to the disc hub 54 by said shoulder and by a sleeve 58 abutting the rearward surface of the race 50 and secured tothe hub 54 by one or more screws 59. A series of balls 51, received in suitable grooves inthe races 50 and 50.', act to prevent relative axialmovement between the races 50 and 50'.,

Thus, the sleeve 31 is secured against axial movement with respect to the disc 53, so that axial adjustment of the sleeve 31 will result in positive corresponding adjustment of the disc 53 in either direction.

Fixedly secured to the shaft 23, at a point axially offset from the position of the disc 52, and facing in the opposite direction with respect thereto, is a coned disc 60; and a mating coned disc 6| is axially slidably mounted upon the shaft 23 outwardly beyond said disc 6U, said disc 6| being constantly urged toward the disc 60 by a spring 62 suitably confined between the disc 6| and abutment means carried by the shaft 23. An edge-active belt-63 provides a driving connection betweenthe V-pulley formed by the discs 52 and 53 and the V-pulley formed by the discs 60 and 6|. It will be obvious that, as the disc 53 is moved toward the left from its illustrated position, the belt 63 will be squeezed outwardly between the discs 52 and 53, thereby being drawn inwardly between'the discs 60 and 6| to force the an oil-reservoir 61 for the lubrication of the bearing 64, said reservoir being supplied with lubricant from the inside of the casing I0 through the medium of a scoop 68 formed integral with the housing 65. When the casing I0 is mounted ina position such that the shaft 23 is located vertically above the shaft I, the housing 65 willl be mounted in the position illustrated; but when the casing I0 is mounted with the shafts and 23 located in a common horizontal plane, the housing 65 will be mounted in a position rotated about its own axis, so that the lip 68 is disposed immediately below the shaft 23. Y l

The operation of the unit will be clear. When the discs 53 and 6| are moved to their intermediate positions, so that the speed of the shaft 23 is equal to the speed of the shaft the output shaft 24 will be stationary, because the shaftll will be rotating the gear I6 in one direction at the samel speed at which the shaftA 23 willbe rotating the gear 20 in the opposite direction. Now, as the disc 53 is moved toward the left, the speed of the shaft 23 will be increased, whereby the shaft 24 will be rotated, through the differential mechanism, in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft Il. Obviously, the speed of rotation of the shaft 24 in such `di rection will be increased as the disc 53 is moved 'farther and farther toward its left hand position. Conversely, if the disc 53, is moved toward the right from its intermediate position, the speed of the shaft 23 will be reduced below the speed of the shaft Il, whereby the shaft 24 will be rotated, at a speed dependent uponv the degree of adjustment of the disc 53 toward the right beyond its intermediate pition, in the directiony of rotation of the shaft I claim as my invention:

1. For use with a shaft and a pair of coned discs associated with said shaft, one of said discs being axially shiftable toward and away from its fellow, a threaded element concentric with said shaft and axially fixed with respect to the other of said discs, a member threadedly engaged with said element, means providing a positive axial connection between said member and said adjustable disc, said member being rotatable relative to said element to shift said adjustable disc positively in either axial direction relative toits fellow, and stop means carried by said element and positioned at axially spacedk points in the path of means moving with said member to limit the degree of axial adjustment of said adjustable disc in both directions, at least one of said stop means being axially adjustable with respect to said element.

2. For use With a shaft and a pair of coned discs associated with said shaft, one of said discs being axially shiftable toward and away from its fellow, a threaded element concentric with said shaft and axially fixed with respect to the other of said discs, a member threadedly engaged with said element, means providing a positive axial connection between said member and said adjustable disc,- a handV wheel axially adjustably secured to said member for rotating said member relative to said element to shift said adjustable disc positively in eitherV axial direction, a finger on said hand wheel and projecting radially therefrom, and stop means carried by said element at axially spaced points and projecting into the path of said finger to limit the degree of axial adjustment of said adjustable disc in both directions.

3. For use with a shaft and anelement axially shiftably mounted to rotate with said shaft, means for axially adjusting the position of said element, comprising a threaded element concentric with said shaft and axially fixed with respect thereto, a member threadedly engaged with said threaded element, means providing a positive axial connection between said member and said shiftable element but permitting relative rotation therebetween, said member being rotatable relative to said threaded element to shift said shiftable element positively in either axial direction relative to said shaft, `and stop means carried by said threaded element and positioned at axially spaced points in the path of means moving with said member to limit the degree of axial adjustment of said shiftable element in both directions.

4. For use with a shaft and an element axially ber for rotating said member relative to said threaded element to shift said shiftable element positively in either axial direction relative to said shaft, a finger 0n said handwheel and projecting radially therefrom, and stop means carried by said threaded element at axially spaced points and projecting into the path of said finger to limit the degree of axial adjustment of said shiftable element in both directions.

5. For use with a shaft and an element axially shiftably mounted to rotate with said shaft, means for axially adjusting the position of said element, comprising a first threaded element axially fixed with respect to said shaft, a second threaded element threadedly engaged with said first threaded element and axially fixed with respect to said shiftable element, a manipulating device axially adjustably secured to one of said threaded elements and provided with a finger projecting substantially radially toward the other of said threaded elements, a stop member carried by said other threaded element in the path of said finger, and a'second stop member axially adjustably carried by said other threaded element in the path of said finger.

6. For use with a shaft and an element axially shiftably mounted to rotate with said shaft, means for axially adjusting the position of said element, comprising an internally threaded thimble concentrically surrounding said shaft adjacent said shiftable element and axially fixed relative to said shaft, a sleeve having an externally threaded shank threadedly engaged in said thimble, said sleeve being provided with an externally threaded enlargement, means providing an axially fixed connection between said sleeve and said shiftable element, a handwheel threadedly mounted on said sleeve enlargement, a collar threadedly mounted on said thimble, a radially projecting finger carried by said hand wheel, a stop member carried by said collar and disposed in the path of said finger to limit the throw of said shiftable element in one direction, and a stop member carried by said thimble at a, point axiallyremote from said collar and disposed in the path of said finger to limit the throw of said shiftable disc in the opposite direction.

PAUL B. REEVES. 

